Headpiece for litters



K. F. SPRINGER HEADPIECE FOR LITTERS Oct. 24, 1944.

Filed seiat. 5; 1943 Spa/0044 000 Patented Oct. 24, 1944 UNITED STATES .ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

' .Theobject of the invention is to provide a ,:litter headpiece which will ensure head fixation of the patient without the development of pressure and which, at the same time, will be adjustable asto size, so that the maximum comfort will be obtained; to provide a headpiece which, while it is effectively secured to the litter, is readily detachable therefrom and in this respect is an expendable item replaceable when blood or suppuration renders it unusable; to provide a headpiece which is adjustable in its position on the litter thus making for its most convenient positioning for the-requirements of the patient; and to provide a headpiece which is of simple form and susceptible of cheap manufacture.

With this object in view the invention consists of a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the litter, as in use, with the headpiece constituting the invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the invention and the head zone of the litter to which it is attached;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the structure of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 but showing the position of the headpiece varied from the position shown in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing the form in which the bottom wall of the headpiece is fabricated.

The invention is designed as an appurtenance to theconventional litter, such as that indicated at I0, wherein the patient is completely enclosed so that he may be readily moved, as by carrying in a horizontal position, or hoisted or lowered in a vertical position, without discomfort. The conventional litter is equipped with means for holding the head and it is this means that the headpiece constituting the invention replaces in the head Zone ll of the litter.

In place of the usual head fastenings in the head zone, the latter is provided adjacent either lateral edge with a series of spaced fasteners I2 of which each comprises a pivoted button I 3 that may be inserted through a companion eye member l4 in the bottom wall] of the headpiece. Turning the. buttons an angular distance of ninety degrees serves to secure the bottom wall I5, and with it the headpiece, tothe head zone ll, since the openings in the eye members are oval and the buttons can pass through them only when their longer dimension is co-incident with the major. axes or the openings.

The bottom wall [5 is co-extensivewith' the head Zone I l and is fabricated with threeplies of feltinthe neckregion of the patient and one ply in the head area. The construction'of the bottom wall is disclosed in Figure 5 and, as shown, consists of a felt piece l6 faced with a muslin covering l 1 above and below, the felt piece in the neck region being folded on itself to provide the plies l8 and IS with the folded portion again folded to superimpose these plies on the main portion of the felt piece. Lines of stitching 20 secure together the marginal edges of the cover-' ing i1 and an additional line of stitching is run through the covering and the felt piece adjacent the line of fold of the plies l8 and I9 and serves to maintain the three p-ly construction in the neck region and the singl ply construction 'in. the head area.

The lateral wall of the headpiece is constructed similarly to the head area of the bottom wall [5, that is, it is composed of a single ply of felt enclosed in a muslin covering. The lateral wall consists of two spaced parallel cheek sections 22 and the arched connecting crown section 23 and is symmetrically placed on the bottom wall, being united with the latter by stitching its contacting edge to the bottom wall.

Chin and brow straps 24 and 25 span the cheek sections 22, the latter having a running connection, as at 26a, with the crown strap 26 of which the remote end is secured to the crown section 23. All three straps are provided with buckles 2? by which they may be varied in effective length, so that proper adjustment may be made to bind the head of the patient firmly in placewithout discomfort, the lateral wall contacting the cheeks and crown of the head, the straps 24 and 25 passing respectively over the chin and brow and the strap 26 extending from the brow over the crown.

The buttons l3 being uniformly spaced, the position of the headpiece may be adjusted bodily up or down in incrementsequal to the spacing between the buttons. One of these adjusted positions is shown in Figure 4. It will be seen, therefore, that the position of the headpiece on the stretcher or litter can be made to conform tothe hight of the patient.

The feature of adjustability to make the headpiece bodily adjustable also makes it expendable thus providing for replacement where the condition of the patient has impaired it beyond the point of re-use.

The lateral wall and its attendant straps provide for proper adjustment to meet the size of the head of the patient and for securing fixation of the head without developing any pressure area which might be serious in the event the patient has sufiered a head injury. And the positions of the straps aresuch that support is given to the head at the most logical points, the chin and brow, and at the same time ample space is left for marking on the forehead an indication of any treatments-the patient may have received.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In combination, a litter fixing the position of the body of the patient and having a head zone crown section, strapsspanning the cheek sections across the chin and brow. of the patient, a crown strap having a running engagement with "the brow strap and connecting centrally with the fcrownsection of the lateral wall, and a bottom wall co-extensive withthe head zone, the lateral wal1 being symmetrically placed on the bottom wall and having its longitudinal edge secured to the bottom wall.

2. In combination, a litter fixing the positionof the body of the patient and having a head zone in the area of the head of the patient, and a headpiece detachably secured to the head zone and receiving the head of the patient, the headpiece comprising a lateral wall composed of parallel cheek sections and, an arched connecting crown section, straps spanning the cheek sections across the chin and brow of the patient, a crown "strap having a running engagement with the brow strap and connecting centrally with the crown section of the lateral wall, a bottom wall co -extensive with the head zone and supporting the lateral wall symmetrically placed thereon and upstanding therefrom, and companion fasteners on the lateral edges of the bottom wall and head zone and uniformly spaced to provide for interchange ofthe elements composing the fasteners and thereby effect bodily adjustment of the headpiece longitudinally of the litter.

' KENNETH F. SPRINGERL 

